The Scarlet Letter Chapter One

The Scarlet Letter

Chapter One

LESSON OBJECTIVE

Chapter 1

Students will analyze the descriptive setting and tone in Chapter One of The Scarlet Letter, evaluating how Nathaniel Hawthorne introduces themes of judgment, morality, and societal values through symbolism and imagery.

Do Now:

Go to the Padlet and answer the following:

• What comes to mind when you think of Puritan society in early America? Write 2–3 adjectives or images.

THE SCARLET LETTER CHAPTER ONE

The Puritans

Consider the following statements about the Puritans & draw on your knowledge to answer the questions in a Canvas assignment as we watch the following video.

"The puritan through life's sweet garden goes to pluck the thorn and cast away the rose. "- Kenneth Hare "The Puritans' sense of priorities in life was one of their greatest strengths. Putting God first and valuing everything else in relation to God was a recurrent Puritan theme."- Leland Ryken "The Puritans left England for America not because they couldn't be Puritans in their mother country, but because they were not allowed to force others to become Puritans; in the New World, of course, they could and did."- Gore Vidal

THE PURITANS

THE SCARLET LETTER CHAPTER ONE

Focus

The Prison Door

In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, the prison door symbolizes the harsh, severe, and unforgiving nature of Puritan society and its justice system, representing the rigid rules, judgment, and lack of grace within their community.KEY THEMES

• Identity and self-discovery
• Social expectations vs. personal desires
• Initial narrative tension

Chapter One

Chapter One

Annnotation Model

Please see below annotations of a "chunk" of Chapter One.

Chapter One

Annnotation Model

Please see below annotations of a "chunk" of Chapter One.

"...allot a portion of the virgin soil as a cemetery, and another portion as the site of a prison." Imagery: "Virgin soil" contrasts purity/innocence of new land with the corruption of death and crime that immediately follows. Symbolism: Cemetery = mortality; Prison = sin and punishment. Together, they foreshadow the moral strictness of Puritan Boston. "...the forefathers of Boston had built the first prison-house somewhere in the Vicinity of Cornhill..." Historical grounding: Places the story in Boston, Massachusetts, rooting the fictional narrative in real Puritan history. Irony: A "new world" quickly replicates the harsh structures of the "old world."

Chapter One

Annnotation Model

Please see below annotations of a "chunk" of Chapter One.

"...the wooden jail was already marked with weather-stains and other indications of age..." Imagery: The prison looks old, decayed, and oppressive, even though Boston was still a new settlement. Symbolism: The prison represents permanent human corruption—it “seems never to have known a youthful era,” as if crime and punishment are as old as humanity itself. "Before this ugly edifice...was a grass-plot, much overgrown with burdock, pig-weed, apple-pern, and such unsightly vegetation..." Imagery: Weeds and wild growth suggest neglect, decay, and the natural world's affinity with corruption. Symbolism: The weeds reflect society’s moral failings—the "black flower of civilized society," i.e., the prison. Hawthorne suggests that punishment grows inevitably out of social order.

Questions to Ask

Why might Hawthorne begin with the prison door rather than a character?

What does the rosebush symbolize, and how does it contrast with the prison door?

How might these symbols foreshadow themes in the novel?

Exit Ticket

In 2–3 sentences, explain how Hawthorne’s description of the prison door and the rosebush sets the tone for the novel. What do these symbols suggest about the Puritan society and human nature?

Homework

• Complete Puritan Activity
• Answer Comprehension Questions for Chapter One
• Continue reading chapters 2-6